Mack and Minnie Sanders

Mack and Minnie married Christmas day in 1940. He enlisted in the army in November 1943, and was released Feb 1946. They had an even dozen of children, 6 girls and 6 boys, plus they raised three grandchildren as their own.

Mack Neese Sanders was born in 1918, the son of McNeese Sanders and Alice Overton. Minnie was born in 1925, the daughter of William Washington and Rosia Miller. All were from Copiah County, Mississippi,

Minnie died in 1984 and Mack died in 1996. They were both buried in the Greater New Zion Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mack's mother, Alice Overton Sanders, and my grandmother Gertrude Overton Durr were sisters.

The Ladies of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

First Row: Ms. Pinkie Wilson, Mrs. Gladys Winston, Mrs. Addie Mae Cameron Tillman, Mrs. Edna Pinkney, Mrs. Durr (my paternal cousin's wife), Mrs. Frances Stanton, and Mrs. Beatrice Markham Johnson (my maternal grand aunt).

Second Row: Mrs. Lisann Durr Roundtree (my paternal cousin), Mrs. Beulah Ann Williams, Mrs. Lula Mae Thomas, Mrs. Annie Mae Manson, Mrs. Martina Barton, Mrs. Willie Mae Thomas, and Mrs. Emma Jane Winston.

Third Row: Ms. Cora Bell Benson and Mrs. Edith Lee Washington

"This is a photo of the Women's Missionary Society of Bethel AME Church. The photo was taken for a Souvenir Journal to host the 1968 Annual Conference of the Mississippi Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church." Dexter Holloway

The church is located in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

Photo Courtsey of Dexter Holloway

Opportunity To Make A Good Man

Ben Washington found himself in a precarious situation in the fall of 1908. The Chancery Court of Copiah County, Mississippi, labeled him a bastard; his mother died in 1905, leaving him in the care of a man said to be his father, William Washington, who was cruel and abusive.

A pitiful, half naked Ben arrived at the home of Steve Jackson in 1906. Steve and his recent bride, Pearl Shannon, had started their family but were willing to adopt Ben.

Jackson told the court he could give Ben a good home, teach him to work, to be upright, honest, send him to school and see that he had an opportunity to make a good man.

Sixteen years old Ben requested the court change his surname from Washington to Jackson. The adoption and request for surname change was granted by the court, 28th Sep 1908.

In 1910, eight-teen years old Ben Jackson was living in the Jackson household with his adopted parents, siblings, and paternal grandparents.

Ben was a married man in 1920. Apparently he did become a good man. His younger brother Versie Washington was living with Ben and his wife Bettie. According to their World War I Draft Registration Cards, Ben was living on Steve Jackson's place and Versie worked for Steve Jackson.

During this season of thankfulness, I am thankful a good man, Steve Jackson, invested time and resources in the lives of brothers Ben and Versie.

How is Steve Jackson connected to my family?
Steve Jackson's sister, Susan Jackson, married Pedro Demyers.
Pedro Demyers was the son of John T Demyers and Mary Hart(Truehart).
John T Demyers and my 2nd great grandmother, Alice Demyers Overton Usher were siblings.

Chancery Court Case
Copiah County, Mississippi
Case Number: 4162
Microfilm Number: 8256
Microfilm found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

The Settlement Louie Heirs vs Washington Heirs

George Washington and and his wife Leah Beasley Washington, who did not have children together, died intestate. Fifty acres in Copiah County, Mississippi, were at dispute among their heirs.

The complainants in the case were George's grandchildren, children of his deceased son from a previous relationship. They claimed Leah Washington never held title to the land, therefore her kin could not inherit the property.

The defendants in the case were Leah's nieces and nephews. They charged Leah was the only heir at the time of George's death and they also questioned the paternity of Jim Washington. They believed Jim was not a son of George Washington, thus, Jim's children were not heirs of George Washington.

The complainants filed the case in Copiah County Chancery Court, October 1903.

George and Leah purchased the land jointly, thus, when George died in 1900, Leah became the absolute or sole owner of the property. The questions of George's heirs, title and paternity did not need to be addressed. Leah was the sole owner and it would be her heirs, the Louie family, who would inherit the 50 acres of land when she died in 1902.

Source
Copiah County Chancery Court Records
Case Number: 3260
Microfilm Number: 8245
Record found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

The Defendants - William Louie et al.
The Complainants - Lawyer Washington et al.

The Defendants William Louie et al.

Leah Beasley married George Washington on the James Beasley's place before the Civil War. Their marriage was never legalized but they were married according to the customs of slavery. Leah and George did not have children together. They both died intestate, without a will, leaving 50 acres in Copiah County, Mississippi, at dispute among their heirs. George died in 1900; Leah in 1902.

The defendants in the case were the nieces and nephews of Leah Beasley Washington.

Leah was born about 1815 in Tennessee. She was the daughter of a white man named Louie from Texas and a slave woman Dina. She chose the surname Beasley as this was her owner's surname.

James Beasley, Leah's slave owner, owned 15 slaves per the 1860 Copiah County Slave Schedule.

Leah's husband George lived on the Hooker's place which was about two and half miles from Leah's home. According to the tradition in this community, husbands were allowed to visit their wives Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday nights, known as "wife nights." On those nights, the "patta rolls" could not bother them.

Beliah Louie and Aaron Beasley/Mitchell were Leah's brothers. Beliah Louie and Leah shared the same set of parents, Aaron and Leah shared the same mother but not the same father. The brothers' children were Leah's heirs, the defendants.

The Louie defendants were: Bert Louie of Lincoln County, MS; William Louie of Windfield, Kansas; Ida Louie Hartly of Sunflower County, MS; and James Louie, Preston Louie, Nancy Louie Mack, Lizzie Louie Cason, Wade Louie, Burrel Louie, John Louie, and Allen Louie all of Copiah County, MS.

The Mitchell defendant was Jennie Mitchell Robinson of Copiah County, MS.

The defendants charged that George Washington left only one heir at the time of his death, his wife Leah. The defendants also questioned the paternity of George Washington's son Jim Washington. They believed Jim was not a son of George Washington, thus Jim's children were not heirs of George Washington.

Source
Copiah County Chancery Court Records
Case Number: 3260
Microfilm Number: 8245
Record found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

How do the defendants connect to my family tree?
My granduncle, Haber Overton of Copiah County, married a Rosa Louie. At this time, I don't have enough information to connect Rosa to this Louie family.

Next Post - The Settlement

The Complainants Lawyer Washington et al.

George Washington and his wife Leah, who did not have children together, died intestate. Fifty acres in Copiah County, Mississippi, were at dispute among their heirs. George and Leah had lived together for nearly a half century. Their marriage was never legalized but they were married according to the customs of slavery. George died in 1900; Leah in 1902.

The complainants filed the case in Copiah County Chancery Court, 1903. They were the grandchildren of George Washington.

George Washington was born about 1810 in South Carolina. He was a slave of the Hooker family, probably Zadock Hooker who owned 52 slaves per the 1860 Copiah County Slave Schedule.

George had only one child, a son, James/Jim Washington born about 1853 to Susan Fry.

James married Easter Davis, 01 Feb 1872, in Copiah County. By 1880, the family had added six children; William 11, George 7, Lawyer 5, Quilla 4, Elias 2, and Mary Ida 0. James and Easter died after 1880, and the couple's children were raised by George and Leah. By the 1900 census, George and Leah were living alone.

All of James' children, with the exception of George, were named as complainants. The complainants charged Leah Washington never held title to the land, therefore the defendants could not inherit land from Leah.

Source
Copiah County Chancery Court Records
Case Number: 3260
Microfilm Number: 8245
Record found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

How do the complainants connect to my family tree?
I am not sure how I connect to this group of Washington kin. I connect to them through DNA tests.

Next Post - The Defendants

Ora Coleman Lee 1907-1993

Notice the outhouses, clothes waving in the wind, and the houses in the background. Ora was likely born in Lincoln County, Mississippi. She and the family she created lived in Winnsboro, Louisiana. She was the daughter of Henry Coleman, Sr, and Florence Washington. She married John Emanuel "Manuel" Lee.

How does Ora Lee connect to my family?
After the death of Ora's father, her mother Florence married James "Jim" Scott.
Jim Scott was the son of James Pearly Scott, Sr., and Viola Markham.
Viola Markham Henderson and my great grandfather, Monroe Markham, were siblings.

Picture Courtesy of Ivy Lee, Grandson of Ora

Amanuensis Monday Name Confusion

George Washington aka George Thomas
1837-1912

George Washington aka George Thomas had several difficulties getting approval to receive a pension for service during the Civil War. One of his problems was he had a common name, George Washington. Seven men had the exact same name who served with the same regiment as this George, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. A civilian who worked for the 58th, USCI, also had the same name. Here is one of George's depositions concerning the name confusion.

Deposition A in Case of George Washington
January 15 1890
Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Miss

I was born in Copiah Co, Miss near the Jefferson County line. My owner was Bill Brown. He was the only owner I ever had. I lived on his place till I went to Natchez & then to Vicksburg. I joined the army at Vicksburg & was discharged at Natchez.

I have heard you explain about that Geo Washington who claims on my service. I don't know him that man & never saw or heard of him. He is a fraud. I have no picture of myself. I had no nickname in service at all. I was clean shaved all the way through the army. I was never in the army but about 8 or 9 months in all. I was never in but two fights in service, one about 12 miles from Woodville & the other was on Bingham's Branch out from Natchez. At the last fight a man named of our Co named Sampson Martin was killed.

Yes, I use to know of a Gilbert Buoy in Jefferson Co, Miss. He is dead. He lived near Union Church & 8 miles from my owner. Yes, he owned a slave named Geo Washington born & raised on the place. He was younger than me. I knew that other Geo Washington before the war. His mistress was my master's sister. No, he was never in my Co at all. He ran away from Gilbert Buoy a long time after I enlisted. He came to Natchez & was put to driving a commissary wagon in the wagon train. I well knew him and saw him often. I am positive he was never an enlisted man at all. He never did a thing but drive the post team. He never came back to Union Church after the war & I never have seen or heard of him since I was discharged.

Yes, he had a wife. Her name was Susie. He married her before the war. Then when he was driving wagon at Natchez he had a woman named Mary.

The father of that other Geo Washington was named Peter Baker. The Geo Washington that lived at Buoy's before the war & that wagoned(sp) at Natchez was not the same man that was in Capt Picks Co 58th Regt as Geo Washington

George his x mark Washington

George Washington served with Company F, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He enlisted 08 Sept 1864 in Vicksburg, discharged 10 May 1865 in Natchez.

George's father was named Thomas Buie. After the War, he decided to use the name George Thomas. He married Rhoda Buie and had several children near Caseyville, MS. Many of George's descendants married into my Markham family.

Tenant Farmers on Durr Farm

James Pearly Scott, Jr., with mule in Caseyville, MS
1900-1992

Benjamin Durr, fellow researcher of Caseyville, MS, shared with me the names and notes of people who were tenants on his father's farm in Caseyville during the 1930s and 1940s. To my surprise, most were related to me.

• Walter Scott- moved to purchase his own farm.
  Walter married Susie Mae Smith. Walter was a 1st cousin once removed of my mother. James Pearly, in the above photograph, was Walter's brother.


• Perry and Kathaleen Thomas - Kathaleen was the farm's doctor. She delivered me (Benjamin Durr).
  Perry married Kathaleen Sartin.


• Walter and Pinky Henderson-moved to purchase a home in Brookhaven.
  Walter married Pinkie Markham who was my mother's 1st cousin once removed.


• Stanley Tyler and wife Willie Mae Thomas, daughter of Perry and Kathaleen Thomas


• Gilmore Banks married Ada Beth Henderson, daughter of Walter and Pinky Henderson.
  Gilmore Banks was a second cousin of my mother.
  Ada Beth Henderson was a second cousin of my mother.


• E.L. Holloway and Ethyl - E.L. had the first black gospel quartet on radio in Brookhaven


• Buster and Christine Markham – Jeannette Coleman, the lady you met in Brookhaven having breakfast with us was their daughter.
  Virgil "Buster" Markham married Christine Holloway. Virgil was my mother's 1st cousin.


• Anthony Washington and wife ?
  From the 1920 and 1930 census, Lincoln County, MS, Anthony's wife name was Lula.


• Walter Ransfer and wife?
  From the 1930 census, Lincoln County, MS, Walter's wife name was Alice.

Photograph Courtesy of James Scott